Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-08
THE LIE LEGISLATIVE.
A SENSATION ON THE FLOOR OF THE
ILLINOIS HOUSE.

iLtiSOfO f1OOOC-
Dixon Charges Merritt with Treason In
the Lie Dtre1t-some Eminent Editors
Do Some OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Zeeis-
Iative and Political News.
SPRINGFIELD. Arrsi Sin the house
Thursday afterno N Merritt called up house
bill $50, an act to further define conspiracy
and punish the same and crimes committed
in pursuance thereof and placed it upon
second reading This bill has become cele-
brated the country over as a measure aimed
at the Socialist eni Anarchist revolutionists.
Bailey, Of the Labor party, moved to amend
section Z By striking out the following:
And it shall not be necessary for the prose-
cution to show that the speaking was heard
or written or printed matter aforesaid was
read or communicated To the person or per-
sons actually committed the crime if such
speaking, writing, printing, or publishing is
shown to have been done III public man.
ner within the state Bailey supported his
motion with 2 vigorous speech, and was fol-
lowed by Merritt in one of his characteristic
orationS in which he appealed to tho
house to defeat the amendment. Charles
G. Dixon, who has recently recovered from
a prolonged Illness AMI who appeared in the
house for the first time Wednesday, took up
the cudgeis against the hin in support of the
amendment He was interrupted by Merritt,
and in raply charged the latter that when he,
Dixon, was at the front fighting in defense
of the flag in the late war. Merritt, as a
member of the Knights of the Golden Circle,
was acting the part Of traitor to his coun-
try at home. IF the law proposed by Mer-
rift had been enacted twenty five years ago, y
cried Dixon, Its author would have been
hung for conspiracy against his country, and
would now lie in traitors grave, if the
charges made against him, which he was
prepared to produce, were true
Merritt-N hcever makes that statement is
liar, and l viii hold you responsible for
saating it on the floor Of this house.
At this point the widest excitement and
confusion was preciritated; Merritt grew pale
with rage, and trembled perceptibly as he
| stood shaking his fist at Dixon The latter
was unmoYed except that he seemed bent on
wreaking vengeance on Merritt for the many
taunts administered to him by the latter on
many occasions. As sopn as his voice could
ba heard above the uprolr Dixon reiterated
bis charges and said lite had the proof at
hand, whereupon Robrback handed him a
package Of papers which proved to bs the
correspondence between II. J, Weibel
resident of Merritt's district, and
Ben jamin W. Goolhue, of Chi
cago. The letter from Weihel was very
lengthy and gave an alleged history of Mer
ritt's connection with disloyal secret society
known as the knights of the Golden Cir
cle.n The letter charged Merritt with the
most cowardly, treacherous traitorou5, and
disloyal conduct, and was greeted with
cheers, Kisses and laughter
At the conclusion of the reading by the
clerk Merritt claimed the floor on a question
of privilege and denounced the letter. the
writer thereof, and others connected with it
He said there was not one grain of truth il
| the letter, and that no man dared to com.
within two feet of him and affirm any por
| ton of the charges. Dixon got the floor anC
concluded his speech as soou as order was re
| stored Balev's amendment was defeated
only the Labor members voting for it and
the bill was ordered to a third reading.
| SPRINGFIELD, HIS. April S-1'he houst
Thursday rejected Littier's motion to recon
slider the vote by which the bill for an indus
| trial home for the blind was passed, locating
| the home at Chicago. The bill providing fo
| the organization AID administration of say
| ings associations was passed, as was the bill
requiring insurance companies to pay tn
face value Of policies. bill was INTRODUCED
prohibiting the selling or giving away II
medical colleges of the bodies of deceased
inmates OF blind asylums or soldiers homes
| The jury commission hill was sent to thirC
| reading. Bills were introduced in the senatl
to establish state board of gas commits
sioners to regulate gas companies like thu
| railway commission does the railways, re
| quiring the railway commission to investi
gate railway accidents and generally super
wise the mechanical departments of the rail
| WAYS. The bills providing that county re
| corders shall keep the records open to publ
inspection, approprating S5l 900 to the uni
| yersity of Illinois, were passed The Logan
monument bill was sent to third reading. Il
| allows the widow to be buried by her hus
| bands side in the place selected for the mon
umentl